CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13728, 17 March 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

< ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Nelson Chamber of Commerce- was held at the Institute last night. The President (Mr W. Y\ Snodgrass), occupied the chair. About a dozen members were present. •> , ■ '

The President explained that the meetings of the Chamber had been suspended for some_ considerable- time. That had been decided upon by the council, wiich considered it" would be best not to try to hold meetings while the thoughts of people were- so much occupied by the Avar. There had been a satisfactory improvement in the finances, a levy on the members having given a credit balance. At a meeting of the council it was practically agreed to vote £15 towards the cost of preparing a pamphlet setting forth the advantages of Nelson and district. To meet that sum would not be a great tax on the Chamber's income, which was about £65 per annum. There were about 60 members, and practically all the subscriptions were paid. Most of the members belonged to the town. No subscriptions had been received from Murchison for two years. Murchison people appeared to have dropped the Chamber of Commerce and taken up the Farmers' Union, which perhaps was more in touch with them.

The statement of accounts for the year ended December 31st, 1914, showed cash in. hand to the amount of £11 3s 6d. Accounts outstanding totalled £5 12s 9d. On the motion of Mr C. Y. Fell, seconded by Mr Henry Baigent, the statement was adopted.

Letters were read from the Southland League, the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, and the British Board of Trade's Commissioner in New Zealand on the question of trade within the Empire. A sympathetic resolution was passed on the motion of Mr T. A. H. Field, M.P., seconded by. Mr L. J. Frank. It is intended to hold a trade fair in London in May, to exhibit British goods which could take the place of those previously obtained from Germany. It was the opinion of the meeting that a selection of the articles might with advantage be exhibited in the principal centres in New Zealand. Mr Field spoke of the- importance of purchasing British goods as tending to the unity of the Empire. Messrs T. A. H. Field, M.P., and F. I. "Leger were appointed to represent the Chamber on a deputation to the Harbour Board, with regard to the opening for settlement of land at the back of the Dun mountain.

Mr F. G. Gibbs expressed the opinion that the opening of the land would be of very little value to Nelson. He thought that when the- land was opened up it would be from Pelorms. It would he a good thing to have the land settled. It was all in bush.

Mr T. A. H. Field expressed the opinion that the Chamber should not lose sight of the necessity for the making of a stock track from Wangapeka to Karamea. It would mean direct communication with Karamea and the whole area of land there. On the motion of Messrs Gibbs and H. R. Duncan it was decided to again urge on the Government the necessity for the making of the Wangapeka track. It was decided to place on record the Chamber's appreciation of the invariable courtesy and attention shown by Mr T. Edwards, who recently retired on superannuation, in carrying out his duties ais stationmaster in charge of the Nelson railways. Several members spoke of the obliging way in which Mr Edwards had always endeavoured to advance the interests of the district.

On the motion of Mr Frank, seconded by Mr S. Kirkpatrick, it was decided' to refer the matter of railway and wharf charges to the Shipping and Produce Committee for inquiry.

Mr H. C. Cock was elected a member of the Chamber.

Me Snodgrass, in his address as the retiring president, said the present wnfc about the sixtieth annual meeting of the Chamber. There had never been an annual meeting under conditions such -as existed to-day on account of the war. However, the Empire had been seven months at war, and the only difference here seemed to bo that they had a- little extra prosperity from increased prices of their products and decreased imports. It would appear that the accumulation of money was going to be very considerable. That they were able to meet that night as they were doing, that they were doing business as usual, was a circumstance which could not be overlooked, and it was quite impossible for them fully to express their thankfulness »and satisfaction for it. It was due from them as business men to voice their satisfaction, and he was proud on their behalf to say how thankfid they were for the good work that had been done by the Imperial authorities and the Army and Navy, and how pleased they were at the response that had been made by Nelson and other parts of New Zealand to the call for men to fight for the Empire and against Prussian militarism. (Applauise). Mr Snodgrass proceeded to speak of the successful work done by the Chamber during the past year, and to refer to efforts that as yet were uncompleted. Money had been placed on the Estimates for the speedier prosecution of the- railway beyond Glenhbpe; the Buller road had been made more convenient for motor traffic^ and a vote had been obtained for the through road from Appleby to Mapua. Plans for the Motueka river cart bridge had g6ne forward to Wellington, so that the erection of the bridge should soon be put in hand. Touching on the expansion of the fruitgrowing industry, Mr Snodgrass said he estimated that in the Moutere district alone fully £50,000 had beenlaid out in the preparation and .cultivation of orchards. The Chamber must do everything it could to foster the fruit industry. Better means of communication was' an important matter, and he believed that, in addition to roads, a light railway for the Lower Moutere would be necessary. There was a fine opportunity in that locality for the Government to put its ideas as to light railways into practice. , He could not get statistics as to the fruit that went away from the Nelson wharf (A member: That is not the fault of the Harbour Board), but he had a return showing the great increase in the quantity of fruit shipped from Motueka. He congratulated Motueka on the increase it showed, but he believed Nelson was going ahead also in respect of fruit exports, and that provision would have to be made to cope with the increase here. The Government had made an excellent offer in the way of a subsidy for cool stores at Motueka, and it would, be for the growers to agree upon a site. He thought the Government, by its generous offer, showed that it was alive to the importance of the fruit industry. The people of Nelson should be optimistic as to the future of their town and district. 'As to fruit, prices in the Dominion this season were good, and, although Softh America was the only outside market available, the price for apples for export wats 6s 6d per bushel case without competition. He was quite sure the fruit industry was going to be a very profitable one. Mr Snodgrass went on to say that he felt that public recognition should be made of the enterprise shown by Messr3 Newman Bros, in improving so splendidly the means of road travel. During the past year they had substituted motor-cars for coaches on the NelsonMotueka and Nelson^Blenheim services.

Messrs Newman Bros., besides showing enterprise, had also shown confidence in the future progress of the district. He thought that efforts might now be made by the Chamber to induce the Government to give increased subsidies for mail services by road to Blenheim aim Motueka. In conclusion, Mr Snodgrass referred to the necessity that would immediately arise to meet the war expenditure by increased taxation. He hoped the tax would be sufficient, and that it would be paid cheerfully, because in paying it they would only be paying a very small part of what they owed for what was being done for them. (Applause). The flection of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—President, Mr Richmond Fell; vice-presi-dent, Mr W. B. Travers; Council, Messrs A. A. Lucas, J. H. Cock, Cecil King, D. R. Edwards, T. A. H. Field, M.P., H. R. Duncan, W. W. grass and P. Bond; auditor, Mr W. Rout.

The following committees were elected.-—

Railway and Land Traffic Committee: Messrs F. G. Gibbs, F. I. Ledger, W. W Snodgrass P. Bond, T. A. H. Field, W. L. Kerr, R. B. Jackson and A. A. Lucas.

Shipping and Produce Committee: Messrs H. C. Cock, T. Neale, W. Rogers, L. J. Frank, T. Pettit, E. Hooper, J. C. Mercer, S. Kirkpatrick and J. A. Mitchell.

Mr Richmond Fell was applauded on taking the chair, and returned thanks for his election to the position of president.

A motion recording appreciation "of the services, during the last two years, of the retiring president, Mr W. W. Snodgrass, was carried by acclamation.